- You may wish to consult
Flux (disambiguation)for other, similarly-named pages.
The Flux was a destructive mass, primarily composed of anti-matter from outside the universe, (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) unleashed by the Division under the orders of Tecteun. It was created to destroy the universe and eliminate the Thirteenth Doctor before she could further interfere with the Division's plans, (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) having discovered her identity as the Timeless Child, her past as a Division agent, and that her memories were removed after her service was complete. (TV: The Timeless Children [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 12 (BBC One, 2020).) The Flux would also act to provide enough thrust for the Division to move their base into the next universe, where they could start over. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
The Flux was described by Karvanista as a "hurricane ripping through the structure of this universe", and was similarly identified by Observation Outpost Rose's system as "compromising base-level integrity of all structures". It ran against the very laws of space-time, disrupting every particle. (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) As the Flux progressed, it destabilised the Temple of Atropos on the planet Time, causing time to "run wild" (TV: War of the Sontarans [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) and making the passage of time unpredictable in an event called the Great Disruption. The damage done to the Temple also freed particles of the Time Force, which caused near-instant decay to anything it made contact with. The Temple was later fixed with the Doctor's assistance when the Mouri were reinstated to control the flow of time, but not before the Ravagers, Swarm and Azure had harvested the Time Force for their own ends. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).)
After the first Flux event on 31 October 2021, (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) much of the universe was lost. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) What remained became contested territory between the Daleks, Cybermen, and Sontarans. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).) The Ravagers captured the survivors of the Flux by claiming to be their saviours, where they amassed on surviving planets, such as Puzano. (TV: Village of the Angels [+]Chris Chibnall and Maxine Alderton, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
A second and final Flux event was planned by the Division for 5 December, but was hijacked when Swarm and Azure invaded Division Control and Swarm killed Tecteun. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) Taking control of the Division, they sought to unleash the Flux and celebrate from Atropos with their saviour, the manifestation of Time itself, reliving the end of the universe in an endless loop. However, the Doctor was able to avert the end, and Time destroyed the Ravagers when they attempted to sacrifice the Doctor, having failed at their task. The Flux was instead absorbed by a Passenger form, after it was used to destroy the Dalek War Fleet, the Cyber-Fleet and the fleet of the Sontaran Empire. (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Although the universe was ultimately saved, (TV: Eve of the Daleks [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).) the Flux continued to weigh heavily on the Doctor due to half the universe having been lost in the process. (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) Despite originally hypothesising a way of undoing the damage wrought by the Flux from Division Control by "decompressing" the Flux, (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) the Thirteenth Doctor ultimately never realised this goal and failed in bringing back what had been lost during the Flux. Feeling responsible due to the Flux having been created to stop them, the Fourteenth Doctor explained that he kept running, even at the "edge of creation", because it was a "creation that [they had] devastated". (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) Indeed it seemed to have been a "last straw" responsible for this incarnation's existence, as in the aftermath of it and the Master's Dalek Plan the Doctor was 'running on fumes' and in need of a break, ultimately leading to his retirement.
History[]
First Flux event[]
- Main article: First Flux event
The Flux was created to destroy the universe, (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).) using anti-matter, (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) by the Division who, under the leadership of Tecteun, had decided to abandon the universe for the next one. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) The Flux's impending arrival rallied the Sontarans, Weeping Angels, Ravagers, and "other species from across the universe". (TV: The Flux is Coming... [+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.) The Sontarans learnt of the imminent event, and the conflict it would provoke, from the assessment of Psychic Surveyor Kragar. They believed it would dwarf every previous conflict in history. (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
The remains of Inston-Vee Vinder's home planet after the Flux. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).
When this mysterious force appeared near Observation Outpost Rose, the entirety of the Thoribus Section was destroyed. While reporting the unfolding events, observation officer Inston-Vee Vinder had no choice but to evacuate the outpost. His station was destroyed moments later, consumed by the Flux as it advanced. (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) The Flux ripped through Inston-Vee Vinder's home planet, devastating it. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).)
The Flux caused damage to the inner sanctum of the Temple of Atropos on the planet Time, leaving two Mouri broken. This caused time to begin to run wild, beginning the Great Disruption. (TV: War of the Sontarans [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
A species recall was initiated, with 7 billion Lupari travelling to Earth aboard ships built to withstand the Flux to rescue humanity, who they were species bonded to. Karvanista, the Lupar bonded to Dan Lewis as his paired guardian, arrived early and abducted Dan from his home in Liverpool in order to protect him from this incoming threat. The Thirteenth Doctor was first told about the Flux by Karvanista himself, when she arrived to recover Dan, ostensibly to return him to Earth.
The Flux approaches the Doctor's TARDIS. (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Attempting to observe the event up close, the Doctor witnessed the Flux reaching the edge of Earth's solar system, only for it to turn towards her TARDIS. As she fled the wave, the Doctor directed the Lupari, through Karvanista, to fly their fleet into a particular formation around Earth, together forming a protective barrier, which she hoped would keep the Flux from reaching it. With the Flux closing in on her TARDIS, the Doctor unleashed vortex energy from within the TARDIS control console. (TV: The Halloween Apocalypse [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) While the interactions of energies stopped the first Flux event from completely destroying the universe, (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) it caused several system malfunctions in the TARDIS and caused the ship and its occupants to fall through time. (TV: War of the Sontarans [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Immediate aftermath[]
The Flux had destroyed "many galaxies", leaving Earth at the epicentre of what remained. Tecteun would however note that the Doctor disrupted the Flux event "just as it came into existence." (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Whilst "time ran wild", various factions began attempting to assert their power in the aftermath of the Flux. On her travels, Bel observed the Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans taking control of sectors of the galaxy. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).) The Sontarans invaded Earth just before the Lupari shield came into effect, occupying Liverpool and preparing to embark on invasions throughout Earth's history, beginning in the Crimean War where they rewrote history. The Doctor repelled their incursion in the Crimea and Karvanista rammed a Imperial Sontaran Time Carrier into the rest of the fleet in Liverpool, causing a temporal implosion which erased the Sontaran invasion from Earth. (TV: War of the Sontarans [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
The Doctor was able to repair the Temple of Atropos with the aid of the Mouri, returning time to normal. However, the Great Disruption had lasted long enough to release particles of the Time Force which would erode whatever they touched. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One, 2021).)
Puzano; the only planet left even partly intact by the Flux in its quadrant. (TV: Village of the Angels [+]Chris Chibnall and Maxine Alderton, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Some survivors of the Flux gathered on the planet Puzano, as it was the only planet even partly intact in its quadrant. They were visited by Azure who tricked them into believing that she could take them to safety in another galaxy so that they would willingly enter her Passenger form. (TV: Village of the Angels [+]Chris Chibnall and Maxine Alderton, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) Swarm and Azure used these captives to strengthen the Time Force to create a psycho-temporal bridge to Division Control located outside the universe, where they killed Tecteun. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
The Sontarans returned to occupy Earth weeks after their first attempt, now working with the Grand Serpent who had compromised Earth's defences from within. The Sontarans killed all of the Lupari in orbit, save Karvanista who escaped with the aid of the Doctor, and took their fleet for themselves. (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Final Flux event[]
- Main article: Final Flux event
- Main article: Flux Offensive
Swarm and Azure used the Division's technology to generate the planned second Flux event to wipe out the remaining universe, intending for the Temple of Atropos to be the last to fall, releasing Time. They planned to then rewind the destruction and play it out again repeatedly.
The Sontarans' psychic command, under the leadership of Kragar, used human psychics to predict where the Flux event would begin. Under the pretence of forming an alliance, they lured a Dalek and Cyberman fleet to the location, planning for their matter to resolve the Flux whilst their fleet sheltered behind the Lupari ships. The Doctor sabotaged their plan by helping Karvanista seize control of the Lupari fleet, whilst Vinder and Bel destroyed the command ship's communications to stop the Sontarans reacting in time. At the same time, at the request of the Doctor, the Division's Ood did his best to minimize the impact of the Flux so as to make it easier to stop. The Flux destroyed the gathered fleets of Daleks, Cybermen and Sontarans; however, this proved insufficient to stop it, and some of the Flux was able to make it past the Lupari shield. Following a suggestion by Diane, the Doctor put Swarm and Azure's Passenger in its path, and the matter within the endless prison proved enough to end the Flux, with Time describing the Flux as being "extinguished". (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)
Aftermath[]
After a week had passed for the Doctor and her companions, they found themselves confronted by the Daleks once more. Due to the Doctor's role in the Flux destroying the Dalek War Fleet, Dalek Executioners were sent in pursuit of the Doctor and her companions to enact vengeance, successfully circumventing them at a storage unit in Manchester on New Year's Eve, 2021. With the TARDIS resetting to clear out the damage done by the Great Disruption, however, the Daleks found themselves unable to permanently kill the Doctor or any of the storage unit's other occupants due to a protective time loop surrounding the building. With the help of the owner, Sarah, and her only customer, Nick, the Doctor, Yaz and Dan were able to defeat and destroy the Daleks in an explosion that levelled the building in a burst of fireworks at midnight, ending the time loop and successfully throwing the Daleks off of their trail. (TV: Eve of the Daleks [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).)
Legacy[]
During the ELF Storage Incident, Dan stated that the Doctor had saved the universe from the Flux. The Doctor, however, still remained closed off to her companions, (TV: Eve of the Daleks [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who New Year Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).) much to Yaz's dismay. (TV: The Vanquishers [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021)., Legend of the Sea Devils [+]Ella Road and Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who Easter Special 2022 (BBC One, 2022).) Ultimately, although the universe had been saved, everything that had been destroyed by the Flux was lost forever, (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) despite the Doctor's initial hope of finding a way to "decompress" the Flux from Division Control. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).) By the end of the Flux event, it had destroyed half the universe.
Later, the Fourteenth Doctor was confronted by a Not-Thing pretending to be Donna Noble, who claimed that it had seen what had happened to him in the years since Donna's travels with the Tenth Doctor (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) when the DoctorDonna had been briefly reactivated. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 2023 specials (BBC One, 2023).) The Doctor, finally forced to confront his feelings, explained that he felt responsible and kept running, even at the "edge of creation", because it was a "creation that [they had] devastated", (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) because the Flux's purpose was to eliminate the Doctor once and for all. (TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021).)When asking the real Donna back on board the TARDIS if she remembered what she had seen while the DoctorDonna was active, she described it as "looking into a furnace", which she ultimately couldn't bring herself to do. Asking the Doctor what had happened, the Doctor was once more reluctant to open up. In the end, Noble settled for asking him if he'd be okay, to which the Doctor answered that he would be - but only after "a million years". (TV: Wild Blue Yonder [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)
The Toymaker later also confronted the Doctor on the Flux when displaying the tragedies the Doctor has experienced since Donna first left the TARDIS. The incident was mentioned by the Fifteenth Doctor as one many memories which weighed on the Fourteenth Doctor when convincing him to go into rehabilitation on Earth. (TV: The Giggle [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 2023 specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)
Behind the scenes[]
In terms of comparisons to real-world scientific theories, the Flux appears to have many similarities to the theory of false vacuum decay, which describes an event which would erase the laws of nature completely. In the DWU, the Flux acts similar to Davros' reality bomb, and is functionally similar to the Great Desolatrix, albeit on a much larger scale. (As for comparisons to wider pop-culture, the cataclysmic event it causes is similar to DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Nothing from The Neverending Story.)
Following the release of The Vanquishers, there has been some degree of confusion as to what the exact resolution to the final Flux event is within the Doctor Who universe. A Dalek Executioner in Eve of the Daleks does refer to the fact that the Dalek War Fleet was destroyed in the Flux, with their mission being to hold the Thirteenth Doctor accountable for "the destruction of millions of Daleks". This indicates that the destruction of the Dalek, Sontaran and Cybermen fleets that occurred before the deployment of Passenger was not undone.
The less speedy and less destructive nature of the final Flux event may also be attributed to the Doctor's interference alongside the Ood stationed at Division HQ as in The Vanquishers, the Doctor asks the Ood about their ability to "minimise the final Flux event". (To which said Ood vows to try their best and later says that they "have done all [they] can".) With regards to both Flux events, Dan Lewis notes in Eve of the Daleks that the Doctor had "saved the entire universe last week".
This is supported by the Doctor's reference in Survivors of the Flux that the damage from the first Flux event "can be decompressed, uncompressed and I'm thinking, with those transport pods, this power source, reversing the polarity of the conversion plates, I can stop this."
What is less clear is exactly how large the impact of the first Flux event had actually been in the first place. In TV: Survivors of the Flux [+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 13 (BBC One and BBC America, 2021). the Ood at Division HQ notes that the event had "destroyed many galaxies." By contrast, Tecteun remarks that the Doctor "[disrupted] the Flux, just as it came into existence." In Wild Blue Yonder, the Fourteenth Doctor mentions that the Flux had destroyed "half the universe."
